Contract Tables

We’ve all spent time in a reception area. How much time varies from person to person, but I think it’s safe to say that the more comfortable the surroundings, the more likely we are to wait in peace and quiet. I mean, really; have you ever wiled away an hour on itchy outdoor reception seating? There’s no excuse for that. It needs to be comfy.

Now imagine that you work each day in a reception area or small office space. (Maybe you do, in which case you don’t need to imagine very hard.) If the surroundings are uncomfortable or poorly laid out, your days will drag on and on. But if the furniture is nice, and your equipment is laid out in a way that promotes efficiency, you will find your job more rewarding.

For employers, it’s important to give your employees what they need. Happy workers make for higher productivity and loyalty. When buying office or reception furniture, search for mobility and adaptability in the pieces you select. Think of open displays for the storage of shared technology and storing; an ‘open’ office encourages the sharing of ideas and opens the lines of communication between workers.

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It can be tricky, when you follow trends of any kind, to know which ones to follow. This is because there’s often more than one trend going on at any given time, and some of them aren’t very compatible. As a frequent traveler and diner, I have seen that hotels and restaurants are moving toward hominess in their designs, encouraging the patrons to feel comfortable and, well, at home. But they don’t take it too far; the idea is to stay modern and professional for the most part, with strategic pieces that remind travelers of home.

That’s what the Willem van Ast Redonda table reminds me of. It’s round, so that all parties seated at it would be on equal terms; and it’s extendable by way of a folding leaf that is integrated within the table itself. Tables with leaves remind me of my mother’s dinner table. (Thankfully, this table’s leaf is attached. Therefore, extending this table won’t be quite so dramatic an event as it usually is for us, with all the searching, finagling, and ultimate bitter victory when we manage to extend her table to fit all of us. Really, it can be a chore. But the food makes up for it.)

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Black Friday has come and gone, and we’ve all basically survived. For those who don’t know, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, when retailers start to rake in the profits from all their holiday sales. This brings them out of the ‘red’ and back into the ‘black’.

Many things surprise me about Black Friday. Mostly the unwavering determination of shoppers to get the absolute lowest price possible, no matter how much it costs them in time, gasoline, and stress to camp out in front of the store with hundreds of other zealots.

None of Black Friday’s top selling items came as a real surprise. Electronics were big, and so was furniture. Living room furniture, to be precise. It looks like families all over are realizing the importance of comfortable, attractive furniture with which to host their family gatherings. Maybe you’ve had your eye on an antique cabinet or jewelry box, or maybe you want to live the dream of a reclining chair with built-in places for your drink and remote control. Could your business use new bistro tables? Perhaps you’ve got a client who could put cushy contract reception seating to good use. Whatever the situation, furniture makes a great gift.

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There you are, sitting at your computer, shopping online for the coolest modern bar furniture you can find. You check out, fill in your credit card information, and complete the order. Then you kick yourself. We’re not talking typical buyer’s remorse here; you’re doing the self-thrashing thing because you just ordered way too many bar stools. You should have had a seating plan before you ordered, but you got caught up in the moment.

Hey, you’re among friends here. We know how the impulse to buy great furniture can take you over and make you do things. So sit back, calm down, and let’s go over a few things you can do to keep furniture-buying mishaps from happening again.

First, know the space you’re trying to fill. What is the maximum occupancy? Will people be more likely to sit in groups, or individually? How large is your bar area in relation to your dining area? How is your reception or lobby laid out? These are some questions you should ask yourself before you decide how much and which type of furniture to buy. Also, take into consideration the special needs of guests with disabilities. Does your seating arrangement and equipment make it easy for them to navigate your establishment? There are, of course, health codes and other standards to meet. Familiarize yourself with the special requirements of your region.

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When we’re furnishing our homes or businesses, it’s easy to overlook the importance of low tables to complement our decor and dining tables. But they do have a purpose, and can be added to just about any setup to great effect. Whether flanking our sofas or resting beside their taller counterparts, low tables, end tables, and coffee tables can be used everywhere, from American bistro accents to UK bar furniture. I also think they’re great for salons and other places where guests might need to rest their purses or other personal items.

But these lovely small tables don’t need to be boring. There are plenty of wooden and metallic tables to choose from, but have you considered something really different? What about semi-transparent matte glass? That could be a good thing or a bad thing, but I must say that Acerbis International does it well. Their Lodovico Acerbis Murano low table looks great. The shape, size, finish, and colors are interesting to look at, and probably don’t require a lot of upkeep.

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It’s so important to pick attractive, comfortable reception and lobby furniture. The first thing a client sees is your lobby. You want their first thoughts to be positive ones. Modern reception furniture comes in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes a classic, classy look is best. If you’re looking to upgrade your reception furniture, look at the Lesro Madison series.

This modular system can be arranged in many combinations of pieces that allow you to really customize the look of your reception area. I like them because they look like something you’d find in a home, or maybe a quality hotel lobby. The plush seats are thick and filled with layered foam for maximum comfort. They’re also designed for heavy use and come with a limited lifetime warranty. The rolled arm design adds beauty to an overall simple design, and matching tables complete the charming look.

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It’s official: The Movelsul Brasil furniture fair will kick off on March 24th, 2008, and run through March 28th. This is a semi-annual event, held every other year, that celebrates Brazil’s place as a leading manufacturer of furniture on an international scale. Held in Bento Goncalves in southern Brazil, this trade show (one of the largest in Latin America) is in its sixteenth recurrence. The fair is exclusively for furniture manufacturers and purchasers, and organizers hope to attract new business.

The furniture fair’s host city is the second-largest furniture export hub in Brazil.

The Salao Design Movelsul, a prestigious international furniture design award competition will be held during Movelsul Brasil. Contenders for these awards include Brazilian companies, and Latin American students and professionals. Also, entrants from the Caribbean and European Union can be expected. The 2008 award includes a cash prize of $50,000.

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